Chatter: Manolo Blahnik

"Are shoes so important? Really? If I was a woman, I would be dressed in the same thing for a month and just change my hat and gloves. Maybe my shoes too; yes, I see what you mean but, really, it’s jewels that change an outfit. And I do love gloves. And I adddore hats."

-- Manolo Blahnik can't quite make up his mind. 

Chatter: Tom Ford

“It was like a divorce. I was bereft. But I have done a lot of work on myself and I am through it.”

-- Tom Ford on his departure from Gucci. 

Chatter: Kanye West

"I can't compete with her. I'm a guy."

-- Kanye West on if he plans to out-dress Lady GaGa on stage during their tour. 

Chatter: Cristiano Ronaldo

"I don’t know why people are so interested in what I wear on holiday. Last year, when I was in LA, everyone was talking about my tight trunks. Have you seen what people in LA wear? I was the most normal dressed person over there. Anyway, what’s wrong with wearing tight pants? They look good and it’s better than having tan lines down your legs. This year it was the pink hat with the flower. I don’t see what is wrong with it. I can see why, if you weren’t comfortable with your sexuality, you might not wear it. But I’m very comfortable so it’s not a problem for me. Men wear pink these days. OK, not many men wear flowers, but it’s good to be different."

-- International soccer star (and sex symbol) Cristiano Ronaldo defending his wardrobe. 

A Few Questions for John Varvatos

Everyone's favorite rock n' roll menswear designer gave a few minutes to answer some random question for The Fashion Informer, tackling those burning queries about salty v. sweet (salty, he prefers), what he eats for lunch (sushi apparently), and his favorite holiday (Thanksgiving -- aw!). A few more gems from the interview:

What he's listening to:

"A few of my current go-tos are Alejandro Escovedo, MC5, The Stooges, The Hellacopters —and over 35, 000 others in rotation!"

His first rock concert: 

"First concert: 1969 Led Zeppelin - enough said! My most recent concert, which blew me away, was AC/DC – they came out and hit hard like a freight train for two mind-blowing hours!"

And what he would ask God: 

"When is the economy going to turn around?"

Quickies: Hilfiger Hotels, Moss Autobiography, Akon Fragrances, +

Tommy Hilfiger is in the conceptual stages of opening his own hotel chain. "We like America but we have great popularity all over the world. I think we could put a hotel up in just about any major city." [WWD]

Kate Moss is reportedly writing a tell-all autobiography. Juicy. [Grazia] 

Akon plans on introducing two fragrances, Konvict and Aliaune, under his newly formed company, Konvict Cosmetics Intl.  [WWD]

Victoria Beckham is taking her denim line dVb in house for further production after being dropped by Kitson, Saks and Henri Bendel. Can't say she's not a fighter. [NYP]

Tim Gunn on Capitol Hill: “There’s been a fashion epiphany in Washington. It’s light years beyond what I saw here [two years ago], which made me want to run and scream.” [WWD]

Alexander McQueen Sounds Off

Who doesn't love a lippy designer?

Alexander McQueen recently spoke to Philip Utz for the Spring issue of Numéro Homme and, per usual with his earnestness, he gave some pretty good sound bites regarding his life in the industry, but not before taking his own swipe at his interviewer saying that fashion journalism is "a thinly-veiled exercise in marketing." 

What else did he have to say? Reported through a very thin veil, here is Alexander McQueen on:

The British Fashion Council:

"It doesn't know what the f*ck it's doing."

Hubert de Givenchy (McQueen was the designer for Givenchy from 97 to 01):

"Well what do you make of Hubert de Givenchy? He was only ever any good at ripping off [Cristobal] Balenciaga."

Those designers he actually favors, even if backhandedly:

"Comme des Garçons and Martin Margiela. There are designers that I admire, but I don't look up to them. I don't really look at what everybody else is doing. That's a studio mentality. There comes a time in your life when you focus solely on what you believe is right, regardless of what everybody else is doing."

His entry into fashion:

"I found a way round that by reading a book that showed other designers' routes into fashion: some had been tailors. That's what made me want to work on Savile Row. To learn how to technically make a piece of clothing."

And, finally, what he actually likes to do with his time:

"People who move in [fashion] circles never have anything to say. You know it's hard enough doing this job, I don't have to f*cking live it as well. I'd rather sit at home watching Coronation Street."

(via Fashionologie)

-- Seth Plattner

Chatter: Valentino

Vanity Fair: What do you consider the most overrated virtue? 

Valentino: Fidelity.

-- Valentino answers VF's Proust questionnaire. 

Chatter: Carine Roitfeld

"It's a bit like for an actor. Do you want to go to Hollywood or do you want to stay here in Paris and do the cinema I like to do? I think I prefer to stay here in Paris."

-- French Vogue Editor-in-Chief on why she doesn't want Anna Wintour's job. 

Chatter: Alber Elbaz

“If it’s not edible, it’s not food. If it’s not wearable, it’s not fashion.”

-- Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz on his philosophy of the avant-garde.